Breeding and Selling of Companion Animals 25 dogs from other sources, such as imported puppies Fundamentally, the motivation for abuse by offenders is financial, there is simply little consideration given towards the impact on the dogs There are a number of sources that prospective owners can choose when buying their puppy, and these range enormously in terms of the health of the puppy, the life that it has led and the welfare problems it has experienced prior to sale Critically, these sources also vary in terms of how quickly they can provide these dogs Where the motivation to obtain a puppy is strong, so will be the desire to reduce the time it takes to get the puppy The internet enables impulse purchasing, in response to trends; puppies can be obtained in less than a day This remote purchasing distances purchasers from vendors, and facilitates the sale of animals from imports or large scale commercial puppy breeding in England and Wales, thereby allowing consumers to support harmful practices These breeders and dealers concentrate on a small number of sought-after breeds, such as pugs, bulldogs and spaniels, to satisfy demand and maximise profits Breed Standards When producing particular breeds, especially for dog-showing success, there are strong incentives which drive breed-related health and behavioural problems Simply put, breed standards and breeding practices cause breed-related welfare problems Breed standards and their judging in shows can directly encourage the breeding of dogs with exaggerated features that can cause health problems In order to breed dogs who conform most closely to that ‘type’, breeders have also inbred and ‘line-bred’ (which is effectively also ‘inbreeding’) those animals who have those features These characteristics have been prioritised above breeding for health, temperament and welfare In addition, many dog breeds were generally produced from a few founding animals and breeders have, inevitably, used particular animals (for example, champion males) disproportionately more than others, thereby making those few animals’ genes common in the breed This can lead to inherited health problems as described above Breeders may also be motivated by non-financial incentives, in particular the prestige or status of breeding winning animals The motivation for large-scale puppy breeders to breed dogs with these inherent disorders is financial, as they can charge higher prices for more fashionable breeds, thereby increasing revenue